A man whose pet cobra had an Orange County neighborhood on edge when it escaped is told he can't have more venomous snakes, but it seems there's a catch.

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"I'm still convinced he couldn't have gotten out this building," snake owner Mike Kennedy said earlier this year.

Kennedy's king cobra, Elvis, got out of the building and was eventually found in a neighbor's garage, but not before causing a stir in the neighborhood.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stepped in, saying it was the third time Kennedy had lost a venomous snake, and also because he waited 24 hours to report it missing.

After several court hearings, FWC was able to revoke Kennedy's license, and normally that would mean the venomous snakes and other exotic animals would have to be removed and relocated to a licensed facility within 30 days.

This Sunday marks 30 days, WESH 2 News was told, and the pets are still there.

"We've been following this story from the beginning because of the proximity to our house and our pets," said Kennedy's neighbor Ketron Brown.

Brown was initially relieved to hear about Kennedy's license being revoked until he and his wife spoke with FWC officers.

"They said the animals would most likely remain on the premises," Brown said.

An FWC spokesperson confirmed that Kennedy's wife has a permit to possess and exhibit venomous snakes and that the reptiles would most likely remain at their current location.

"We were shocked. I guess if something were to happen to her license, then they could get a roommate or guest or friend or whatever, and enforcement would be pretty much impossible," Brown said.

WEBVTT
BE A CATCH.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
I'M STEWART MOORE.
MEREDITH: I'M MEREDITH MCDONOUGH
IN FOR ANGELA TAYLOR.
WESH 2'S SUMMER KNOWLES SHOWS US
WHY THIS SNAKE SITUATION IS NOT
OVER.
>> I'M STILL CONVINCED HE
COULDN'T HAVE GOT OUT THIS
BUILDING.
SUMMER: THAT WAS MIKE KENNEDY
EARLIER THIS YEAR TALKING ABOUT
HIS KING KOBRA ELVIS WHO DID GET
OUT OF THAT BUILDING AND WAS
EVENTUALLY FOUND IN A
NEIGHBORS'S GARAGE, BUT NOT
BEFORE CAUSING QUITE THE
CONTROVERSY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
.
THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE
COMMISSION STEPPED IN SINCE THEY
SAY IT WAS THE THIRD TIME
KENNEDY HAD LOST A VENOMOUS
SNAKE AND BECAUSE HE WAITED 24
HOURS TO REPORT IT MISSING.
AFTER SEVERAL COURT HEARINGS,
FWC WAS ABLE TO REVOKE HIS
LICENSE, AND NORMALLY THAT WOULD
MEAN THE VENOMOUS SNAKES AND
OTHER EXOTIC ANIMALS WOULD HAVE
TO BE REMOVED AND RELOCATED TO A
LICENSED FACILITY WITHIN 30
DAYS.
WELL, SUNDAY MAKES 30 DAYS AND
WE'RE TOLD THE PETS ARE STILL
THERE.
>> WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE
STORY SINCE THE BEGINNING
BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY TO OUR
HOUSE.
SUMMER: THESE PEOPLE --
KENNEDY'S NEIGHBOR KETRON BROWN
WAS INITIALLY RELIEVED TO HEAR
ABOUT KENNEDY'S LICENSE BEING
REVOKED, UNTIL HE AND HIS WIFE
SPOKE WITH FWC OFFICERS.
>> THEY SAID THE ANIMALS WOU
MOST LIKELY REMAIN ON PREMISES.
SUMMER: A FWC SPOKESPERSON
CONFIRMED KENNEDY'S WIFE HAS A
PERMIT TO POSESS AND EXHIBIT
VENOMOUS SNAKES AND THAT THE
REPTILES WOULD MOST LIKELY
REMAIN AT THEIR CURRENT
LOCATION.
>> WE WERE SHOCKED, AND I GUES
IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO
HER LICENSE, THEN THEY COULD GET
A ROOMMATE OR GUEST OR FRIEND OR
YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, AND
THIS WOULD JUST KEEP ON GOING,
AND ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE PRETTY
MUCH IMPOSSIBLE.
SUMMER THIS IS PART OF THE
PLAYGROUND NEAR A SCHOOL WHERE
KIDS WERE BANNED FROM PLAYING
OUTDOOR UNTIL THE SCHOOL WAS --
THE PROGRAM WAS FOUND.
AS FAR AS THE KENNEDY, FWC WAS
NOT ABLE TO TELL ME WHEN MRS.
KENNEDY GOT HER PERMIT OR WHEN
SHE APPLIED FOR IT.
WE WERE UNABLE TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH THEM FOR COMMENT.